Today in History

Today in History

Today is Monday, Sept. 24, the 267th day of 2018. There are 98 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On September 24, 1789, President George Washington signed a Judiciary Act establishing America's federal court system and creating the post of attorney general.

On this date:

In 1869, thousands of businessmen were ruined in a Wall Street panic known as "Black Friday" after financiers Jay Gould and James Fisk attempted to corner the gold market.

In 1890, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Wilford Woodruff, wrote a manifesto renouncing the practice of plural marriage, or polygamy.

In 1896, author F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In 1934, Babe Ruth made his farewell appearance as a player with the New York Yankees in a game against the Boston Red Sox. (The Sox won, 5-0.)

In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered a heart attack while on vacation in Denver.

In 1960, the USS Enterprise, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was launched at Newport News, Virginia. "The Howdy Doody Show" ended a nearly 13-year run with its final telecast on NBC.

In 1968, the TV news magazine "60 Minutes" premiered on CBS; the undercover police drama "The Mod Squad" premiered on ABC.

In 1976, former hostage Patricia Hearst was sentenced to seven years in prison for her part in a 1974 bank robbery in San Francisco carried out by the Symbionese Liberation Army. (Hearst was released after 22 months after receiving clemency from President Jimmy Carter.)

In 1988, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson won the men's 100-meter dash at the Seoul Summer Olympics -- but he was disqualified three days later for using anabolic steroids. Members of the eastern Massachusetts Episcopal diocese elected Barbara C. Harris the first female bishop in the church's history.

In 1991, kidnappers in Lebanon freed British hostage Jack Mann after holding him captive for more than two years. Children's author Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, died in La Jolla, Calif., at age 87.

In 1996, the United States and 70 other countries became the first to sign a treaty at the United Nations to end all testing and development of nuclear weapons. (The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty has yet to enter into force because of the refusal so far of eight nations -- including the United States -- to ratify it.)

In 2007, United Auto Workers walked off the job at General Motors plants in the first nationwide strike during auto contract negotiations since 1976; a tentative pact ended the walkout two days later.

Ten years ago: Officials reopened Galveston, Texas, to residents who were warned about Hurricane Ike's debris and disruption of utilities. Japanese lawmakers elected Taro Aso, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, prime minister.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama and new Iranian President Hasan Rouhani appeared separately before the U.N. General Assembly, with both leaders speaking up for improved relations and a resumption of stalled nuclear talks, but giving no ground on long-held positions that had scuttled previous attempts to break the impasse. Kenya's president proclaimed victory over the terrorists who'd stormed a Nairobi mall following a bloody four-day siege in which dozens of civilians were killed. A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked southwest Pakistan, killing at least 376 people. Tea party conservative Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, began an old-style filibuster lasting nearly 22 hours over President Barack Obama's health care law.

One year ago: More than 200 NFL players kneeled or sat during the national anthem after President Donald Trump criticized the players' protests in a speech and a series of tweets. Trump signed a proclamation to replace his expiring travel ban on visitors from six Muslim-majority countries; citizens from eight countries would now face new restrictions on entry to the country. German Chancellor Angela Merkel won a fourth term in office, but voters weakened her conservatives and a nationalist, anti-migrant party surged into Germany's parliament.

Today's Birthdays: Rhythm-and-blues singer Sonny Turner (The Platters) is 79. Singer Barbara Allbut Brown (The Angels) is 78. Singer Phyllis "Jiggs" Allbut Sirico (The Angels) is 76. Singer Gerry Marsden (Gerry and the Pacemakers) is 76. News anchor Lou Dobbs is 73. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Joe Greene is 72. Actor Gordon Clapp is 70. Actress Harriet Walter is 68. Songwriter Holly Knight is 62. Former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy II, D-Mass., is 66. Actor Kevin Sorbo is 60. Christian/jazz singer Cedric Dent is 56. Actress-writer Nia Vardalos is 56. Rock musician Shawn Crahan (AKA Clown) (Slipknot) is 49. Country musician Marty Mitchell is 49. Actress Megan Ward is 49. Singer-musician Marty Cintron (No Mercy) is 47. Contemporary Christian musician Juan DeVevo (Casting Crowns) is 43. Actor Ian Bohen is 42. Actor Justin Bruening is 39. Olympic gold medal gymnast Paul Hamm is 36. Actor Erik Stocklin is 36. Actor Grey Damon is 31. Actor Kyle Sullivan is 30. Actor Ben Platt is 25.

Thought for Today: "There was never a nation great until it came to the knowledge that it had nowhere in the world to go for help." -- Charles Dudley Warner, American author and editor (1829-1900).